This invention relates to clothing useful in care of babies, especially newborn babies up to about four months old whose developing nervous systems exhibit a "startle" or "Moro" reflex. The readily applied clothing is useful in comforting these newborns during periods of temporary stress thereby aiding in their care and development and in handling the newborns during these periods.
Babies exhibit a large number of innate reflexes during their development including, for example, blinking, sneezing, sucking, rooting, and crawling reflexes. The Moro or startle reflex, manifested by extension and abduction of the newborn's arms while lying on its back, as well as by distinctive finger movements, is still another reflex newborns possess. It can precipitate when the newborn experiences sudden movements or noises and culminates in the newborn crying in apparent discomfort.
Holding newborns and eliminating frightening noises end experiences reduces consequences of the Moro or startle reflex. Moreover, wrapping the newborn firmly in a soft blanket comforts the newborn and prevents movement of the arms including movements characteristic to the startle reflex. However, there are times when even the above practices are unsuited or inconvenient in preventing or mitigating the effects of the startle reflex, e.g., late night feedings, diaper changes, dispensing medications, etc. Moreover, surgical and medical procedures such as vaccination and circumcision may be more easily accomplished with less stress on the infants if the arms of the infant could be held firmly close to its body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,399 to Sheahon discloses neonatal clothing for use in establishing thermoregulatory stability of just delivered newborns. The neonatal clothing of Sheahon's to U.S. Pat. No. '399 differs in purpose and construction from this invention. Sheahon's clothing is designed for temperature control and is constructed with a series of wraps extending around the newborn's body, including four wraps used in holding arms of the newborn and other wraps. The neonatal clothing of Sheahon has a collar that is closed in putting on the clothing.
to U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,840 to Rasure discloses a restraint jacket for use in securing the pediatric wearer to a bed, lounge chair, chair, or other body supporting structure. The wraps of Rasure's restraint jacket in to U.S. Pat. No. '840 are shown as creating arm holes through which arms of the wearer extend. In sharp contrast, the comforting clothing of this invention holds a newborn's arm's close to its body in the area of its chest and abdomen. Moreover, the restraint jacket for pediatric use disclosed by Rasure '840 is of different character and there is no disclosure suggesting sizing for newborns. Upper and lower portions of the back section of Rasure's restraint jacket are about equal in width, not widely disportionate in width as in the comforting clothing for newborns of this invention.
Other patents of possible interest are to U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,484 to Hogan; to U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,217 to Bern et. al.; to U.S. Pat. No. 4,897,885 to Lunt; to U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,082 to Mulligan; to U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,365 to Lyons; to U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,197 to Posta; U.S. 3,098,236 to Bernfield.